On September 30, 2021, the Canton Public Library will no longer offer cloudLibrary. After the 30th, we will begin moving our e-audiobook collection from cloudLibrary to OverDrive (Libby app). Current cloudLibrary titles will be briefly unavailable while they are transferred and configured in OverDrive. 

Holds will not transfer to OverDrive. If you have titles on hold in cloudLibrary, you will need to place a new holds on the titles in OverDrive when those titles are made available.

Saved lists also cannot be exported from cloudLibrary and will be unavailable after September 29th.

We apologize for any inconvenience this move causes.

Brainfuse webinar on Addressing Learning Loss

On Tuesday, September 14 8:00 PM, HelpNow by Brainfuse will be offering a learning-focused workshop on Addressing COVID Learning Loss with Dr. Danny Diaz, Ed. D., the director of the UCLA History-Geography project.

With all the conversations about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on “learning loss”, how can parents manage their stresses and fears in order to provide the kind of support our youth need at this moment? Drawing on his experiences in education and recent research, Danny Diaz will discuss how we can best address concerns around learning loss. This is a free workshop offered by HelpNow from Brainfuse.

This is not a Canton Public Library program, but a webinar offered through HelpNow by Brainfuse. To register, visit this link

The workshop will be recorded and added to the Brainfuse HelpNow website for those who cannot attend live/would like to review.

The Chairperson, Nancy Eggenberger, called the meeting to order at 7:31 PM.

Present:    N. Eggenberger, M. Farell, A. Iqbal, J. Lee, C. Spas, A. Watts                                       

Absent:      None

Also Present:  E. Davis, K. Gladden

CALL TO AUDIENCE   (D. Ewick, M. Nicholson, R. Noble) – None        

APPROVAL OF AGENDA

The agenda was approved by unanimous consent.

APPROVAL OF GENERAL MEETING MINUTES

The minutes were accepted by unanimous consent.

COMMUNICATIONS — None

DIRECTOR’S REPORT

  • Director Eva Davis introduced Information Services Department Head Dave Ewick, in his first in-person board meeting.
  • Davis pointed out that the July check register reflected that the library has made total repayment to the Internal Revenue Service of the credits that had been taken erroneously in 2020.
  • The contract with e-audiobook provider cloudLibrary will not be renewed. As of September 30, all e-audiobooks will be provided by Overdrive through their Libby application. Content already purchased from cloudLibrary will be moved to Libby.
  • Free domestic faxing services will soon be available on the two printer/copiers in the Self Service area and the contract with FAX24 will not be renewed. International faxing will not be an option but the Reference Desk will keep a list of places where patrons may send faxes to international destinations.
  • Davis thanked Information Technology Department Head Rudie Noble for his research to find vendors from whom to solicit proposals for a new RFID system.
  • A sneak preview of the library’s new website is upcoming at the September or October board meeting; it is on track for a public debut at the end of November.
  • If any trustees are interested in attending the Michigan Library Association’s virtual Annual Conference, they should let Davis know by August 30.
  • The board unanimously agreed to have a single Board email contact listed on the website. While all trustees will have access to the emails received, it will be up to the Chair (or, in relevant context, the Director) to respond.
  • The library is 58% of the way through fiscal 2021 as of July 31st. The financials are in good shape and proceeding as expected.

TRUSTEE COMMENTS — None

COMMITTEE REPORTS — None

UNFINISHED BUSINESS & GENERAL ORDERS

  • Masking for Employees — Davis referenced Programming Librarian Nichole Welz’ proposal for altering the indoor masking mandate for library employees. The proposal requests that librarians who wish to do so be allowed to unmask (while social distancing) when presenting programs indoors. They would be required to wear the mask before and after their presentation, as well as to present prior proof of vaccination. No librarian would be required to remove their mask.

    Davis said that with the rescission of the MDHHS orders and OSHA’s relative silence on the
    subject, the board can generally make any decision they like on this topic. Only a few  
    librarians have currently expressed a desire to use this option, but a number of them would   
   like to have it, nonetheless. Wireless microphones are available for use during programs, so
   any librarian preferring to retain their mask can still be heard by all program attendees.

   Board members empathized with the librarians’ desire to present a successful program while
   remaining safe, and indicated their belief that library staff has generally exercised caution
   throughout the pandemic. The board agreed to allow the librarians to exercise choice in
   determining whether to unmask during a program, under the conditions presented in the
   proposal.

   Given recent changes to the CDC vaccine dosage recommendations, the board asked that
   the  proposal reflect that staff must present proof of vaccination “that meets current CDC
   guidelines.” Davis will implement the proposal as amended to reflect the changes requested by    the board.

  • 2022 Budget Discussion — 2nd Draft of 2022 Budget and 2023-2024 Projections — The only change to the budget from the first draft presented to the board in July was the incorporation of the proposed Michigan Employees’ Retirement System (MERS) contribution.

NEW BUSINESS

  • Options for MERS Overfunding —Board Chair Nancy Eggenberger said that she had been frustrated in the past when the library carried too large of a Fund Balance. While much of that balance has been spent down with capital improvement projects and now must be built back, she is comfortable with the Administration’s recommendation to accomplish the MERS overfunding goal within five years. The rest of the trustees were in agreement.

   Davis will bring the fund balance transfer request to satisfy the current unfunded accrued 
   liability as of December 31, 2020 for the board’s vote at the September or October meeting

  • Approve September 1st Library Closure for HVAC Units Installation — J. Lee moved and C. Spas supported a motion to approve the September 1, 2021 closure, with September 2 as a backup date.

   The motion passed unanimously 21/8-19-1

CALL TO AUDIENCE – None

ADJOURN

The meeting was adjourned at 8:07 PM.  

ELL Conversation Groups (Zoom)

Practice speaking English in an informal setting with Community Literacy Council volunteers online.  Meets every Thursday on Zoom (email Kristy at cooperk@cantonpl.org for information on how to attend).  Please see the English Language Learner Program FAQ for more information.

We also have an in-person ELL Conversation Group that meets on Fridays.

Upcoming sessions

There are no upcoming sessions available.

Children's area entrance

As CPL returns to indoor, in-person storytimes and other children's programming, having a safe and sanitary children's area of the library is at the forefront of librarians' minds during the pandemic.  Cleaning regimes may be difficult to notice by the public, as these procedures often happen outside of public view.  So how does CPL keep the Children's area clean?  Here are our cleaning protocols:

  • General cleaning: The Children's area (and the entire library) are serviced by our night-time maintenance crew, who dust and disinfect all desktops and other hard surfaces, mop hard floors with disinfectant, and vacuum carpeting every evening.  Our daytime library staff also spot clean as needed throughout the day, and the night-time crew follows up on any matters that need extra attention.  Furniture may be removed from public use if it has suffered an unfortunate accident, until it can be cleaned and is once again user-ready.
  • Manipulatives: Like our countertops and other hard surfaces, these wall-mounted items are also cleaned on a nightly basis.
  • Puppets: Our puppets are misted with isopropyl alcohol (an antibacterial liquid) each time they are returned to the library.  Additionally, our puppets are sent out for laundering three times a year; one of these cleanings preceded their reappearance in the Children's area.
  • Storytime kits: We monitor these items when returned and clean as needed.
  • Storytime toys: We have suspended ABC Time, our playtime for 0-5 year olds, as we ease into having indoor, in-person storytime sessions.  When we do bring back ABC Time, we will initially only use plastic and other hard items that are easily disinfected after each session.

In addition to regular cleaning practices, hand sanitizer is available at the Children's desk (and elsewhere throughout the library) for patrons, as are disinfectant and paper towels for cleaning mice, keyboards, or other surfaces that visitors may wish to sanitize before using.

And for those occasional incidents that merit it, we have bio-hazard tools ready to bring out at a moment's notice to handle "tossed cookies" and similar issues.

CPL wants everyone to enjoy a clean and germ-free library, and we hope that our patrons contribute to this environment by engaging in safe and hygienic behaviors during their library visits.

The Duke and I [kit] by 1970- Julia Quinn

In the ballrooms and drawing rooms of Regency London, rules abound. From their earliest days, children of aristocrats learn how to address an earl and curtsey before a prince--while other dictates of the ton are unspoken yet universally understood. A proper duke should be imperious and aloof. A young, marriageable lady should be amiable...but not too amiable. Daphne Bridgerton has always failed at the latter. The fourth of eight siblings in her close-knit family, she has formed friendships with the most eligible young men in London. Everyone likes Daphne for her kindness and wit. But no one truly desires her. She is simply too deuced honest for that, too unwilling to play the romantic games that captivate gentlemen. Amiability is not a characteristic shared by Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings. Recently returned to England from abroad, he intends to shun both marriage and society--just as his callous father shunned Simon throughout his painful childhood. Yet an encounter with his best friend's sister offers another option. If Daphne agrees to a fake courtship, Simon can deter the mamas who parade their daughters before him. Daphne, meanwhile, will see her prospects and her reputation soar. The plan works like a charm--at first. But amid the glittering, gossipy, cut-throat world of London's elite, there is only one certainty: love ignores every rule... 
 

Afi Tekple has her focus on mastering her skills as a seamstress in a small town in Ghana, where she is happy with a simple life. She lives with her widowed mother who one day proposes an arranged marriage to a wealthy man named Elikem Ganyo, who is too busy to attend their eventual wedding and sends his brother in as a stand-in. The Ganyo family convinces Afi that the woman Elikem is currently dating has a wicked hold on him, and marriage to Afi will help bring him back around. After she moves to Accra to live in the flat provided by Elikem, Afi learns that the situation is more complicated than the family initially led on. In her debut novel, Medie writes with a precise rhythm that builds the reader's anticipation. Themes like deception, ambition, love, and values drench the pages with conflict that evolves into an emotional rollercoaster. Essentially, Afi's fight for love leads her down the path of boundary-setting and living life on her own terms.

Of women and salt [kit] by 1984- Gabriela Garcia

A sweeping, masterful debut about a daughter's fateful choice, a mother motivated by her own past, and a family legacy that begins in Cuba before either of them were born. In present-day Miami, Jeanette is battling addiction. Daughter of Carmen, a Cuban immigrant, she is determined to learn more about her family history from her reticent mother and makes the snap decision to take in the daughter of a neighbor detained by ICE. Carmen, still wrestling with the trauma of displacement, must process her difficult relationship with her own mother while trying to raise a wayward Jeanette. Steadfast in her quest for understanding, Jeanette travels to Cuba to see her grandmother and reckon with secrets from the past destined to erupt. From 19th-century cigar factories to present-day detention centers, from Cuba to Mexico, Of Women and Salt is a kaleidoscopic portrait of betrayals-personal and political, self-inflicted and those done by others-that have shaped the lives of these extraordinary women. A haunting meditation on the choices of mothers, the legacy of the memories they carry, and the tenacity of women who choose to tell their stories despite those who wish to silence them, this is more than a diaspora story; it is a story of America's most tangled, honest, human roots.

2021 Write Michigan Promotional Poster

The Canton Public Library is partnering with Kent District Library to present the tenth annual Write Michigan Short Story Contest, which drew almost 1,000 Michigan writers last year.

Canton residents and writers of all ages are invited to enter beginning September 1, with separate categories for youth, teens, adults and Spanish language (12 and younger). Winning entries will be published and receive cash prizes.

Stories can be submitted at writemichigan.org through Tuesday, November 30 at noon. Details include a 3,000-word maximum length; $10 entry fee for ages 18 and above, free for 17 and under; current Michigan residents only; all entries must be submitted online. Those who enjoy reading stories are encouraged to sign up to be a volunteer story reviewer.

Winners will be honored during an awards ceremony in March and their story will be published in an anthology by Chapbook Press.

Show off your writing skills and visit writemichigan.org for more details and to enter. 

Image with text reading: Craftsy now available on hoopla

Did you know you have access to Craftsy tutorials for free, through Hoopla?

Download the Hoopla app from your app store and enter your library card. Once you're logged in, do a search for Craftsy.  You can also find Craftsy tutorials by clicking Browse > Television > Genres & Collections.  You have 20 checkouts per month on Hoopla and each Craftsy tutorial counts as one checkout. 

Find videos on bread making, quilting, cake decorating, tailoring, yarn dying, making your own candy, and more! 

Home Downsizing In Four Easy Steps

Join us for a home downsizing workshop.

You've spent a lifetime accumulating antiques, collectibles, and other household contents. Now you’re ready to declutter or downsize.  What do you do with the items that you no longer want or need? In this presentation Mike will show you how you can sell your excess personal property for the greatest amount of cash...with the least amount of work...in the shortest amount of time...in today's rapidly changing market.

This program will take place via Zoom and registration is required. 

MIKE’s BIO: Mike Ivankovich has been involved in some phase of the Antiques & Collectibles business for more than 40 years. He is a frequent lecturer and spoken before groups too numerous to list. He has authored more than 20 books and eBooks in his areas of specialty and has written articles and columns for most major national trade papers. He is the host of the “What’s It Worth? Ask Mike the Appraiser” Radio Show that airs every Friday morning from 9:30-10:30 AM on WBCB 1490 AM in Philadelphia PA. As a Home Downsizing Expert & Author he guides clients through the entire Home Downsizing process, helping them deal with their Antiques, Collectibles, and General Household Contents. His Home Downsizing in Four Easy Steps book can be found on Amazon.com. Mike is also a professional GPPA & MPPA Appraiser specializing in Appraisals for Estate, Insurance, Inheritance, Divorce, Insurance Claim, Non-Cash Charitable Donation, or other legal purposes. As a Pennsylvania Auctioneer, he has been named Pennsylvania's “Auctioneer of the Year” by fellow Auctioneers.

Upcoming sessions

There are no upcoming sessions available.

•       Call the Meeting to Order

•       Call to Audience (5 min. maximum)

•       Approval of Agenda

•       Approval of General Meeting Minutes

Administrative Reports

•       Communications

•       Report of the Library Director

•       Trustee Comments

Committee Reports

•       None

Unfinished Business & General Orders

     •       Masking for Employees

     •       2nd Draft of 2022 Budget and 2023-2024 Projections

New Business

     •       Approve September 1 Library Closure for HVAC Replacement (with September 2 as
             backup date)

     •       Discuss Options for MERS Overfunding

•       Call to Audience (5 min. maximum)

•       Adjourn

 

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